Guam · GU

Nimitz Hill

Nimitz Hill is a forested peak rising about 850 feet above the Asan–Maina shoreline in central Guam, in the census community of Nimitz Hill Annex. It takes its name from Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, Commander in Chief of the U.S. Pacific Fleet and Pacific Ocean Areas, who chose this high ground for his advanced war headquarters in December 1944 and moved here in January 1945 to bring his command closer to the front. Today the hilltop is a quiet blend of military housing, Navy commands, and former wartime grounds, but it makes an excellent base for exploring some of Guam's most moving World War II sites. The War in the Pacific National Historical Park's Asan Bay Overlook and Fonte Plateau Unit sit within or just below the hill, the early-1900s Fonte River Dam lies in its ravines, and jungle trails fan out toward waterfalls and ridgeline viewpoints. The payoff of the drive up is the prospect: cool air, open sky, and sweeping views across Apra Harbor, the 1944 landing beaches, and the green hills of southern Guam—the same scenery that made Nimitz call the site "superb."